Small villages and stops without a plan

I got the most pleasant moments of the trip not only at the famous viewing platforms. Sometimes I just drove through a small village, noticed wooden houses, boats by the water, or sheep by the road, and realized that this was the frame I wanted to keep in my memory. At such moments, Norway felt not like a collection of attractions, but like a real country where people just live in the midst of all this incredible landscape.

Several times I purposely turned off somewhere I hadn't planned to go at all. Sometimes it ended with a beautiful stop by the water, sometimes with another tunnel, which I entered with a slight anxiety, because I had no idea how long it would last. But it's these small adventures that I remember best later, because a trip without a couple of unexpected turns would be too much like a well-organized excursion.

Where did I stay

I chose the accommodation according to the principle "the main thing is to be comfortable after the road and to want to open the window in the morning." Therefore, the route included small guest houses, simple hotels and cozy places away from major cities. Sometimes the interior was completely ordinary, but in the morning I went outside and saw mountains or water, and after a long drive it worked better than any expensive design.

Evanger Village

I especially liked the small guest houses, where it was quiet and peaceful in the evening. After a whole day driving, it was nice to take off your shoes, put your phone on charge, make tea, and finally take your time. Sometimes I just sat by the window and reviewed the photos for the day, and almost always I found that half of the pictures were taken in exactly the same place.

Eating on the road was also a separate part of the trip. Sometimes I managed to eat normally, and sometimes I limited myself to coffee and something simple, because another viewing platform seemed much more important than a full meal. True, by evening, the body began to remind us that beautiful mountains are wonderful, but the human body still needs food sometimes.

How much time should I spend on such a route?

The main advice I would give myself before the trip is not to try to cover the whole of Norway in a few days. On the map, it seems that everything is relatively close between the points, but in practice the road takes longer than expected, especially when you constantly want to stop. In addition, some sections are simply impossible to drive fast, because the roads themselves require attention and are not conducive to racing.

I liked the format much more when, after several busy days, you could leave at least one day with almost no plan. Back then, I didn't feel like I had to get somewhere all the time. It was possible to calmly wake up, have breakfast, get in the car and just see where today's route would lead.